Grateful Dead Go Crazy At Cameron Indoor Stadium In 1978

By Andy Kahn Apr 12, 2016 3:13 pm PDT

Students attending Duke University in Durham, North Carolina were treated to a Grateful Dead concert on their campus on this date in 1978. The show at Cameron Indoor Stadium on April 12, 1978 featured a number of stand-out moments, and at times a particularly (and abnormally) animated Jerry Garcia.

Garcia was joined on guitar 38 years ago today by Bob Weir and bassist Phil Lesh, drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, keyboardist Keith Godchaux and vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux and the show began with the frequent opener “Jack Straw.” The opening set also included a gorgeous take on “Peggy-O,” some “Funiculi Funicula” tuning ahead of a nicely played “Row Jimmy” and Weir leading the closing “Lazy Lightning” -> “Supplication.” Weir and Lesh also made pleas for the venue to turn down the house lights during the banter-filled first set.

The second set got off to a start with “Bertha” and “Good Lovin’” before a drawn out “It Must Have Been The Roses.” A lengthy on-stage discussion delayed the start of “Estimated Prophet” with more banter from the members of the Dead. During the extended drums segment, Garcia was among several others who emerged to sit-in during the rhythmic jam portion of the set. Seemingly energized, Garcia (and Weir) threw some Pete Townshend-esque windmill guitar riffs into the climatic ending of a fiery “Truckin’” that came out of “Drums.”

During the “U.S. Blues” encore that evening, the still feisty Garcia again tossed in some full-arm strumming and even bounced around a bit for emphasis, punctuating one of those nights that saw the legendary band fully locked-in and having as much fun as the crowd there to see them.

Full show video is available below thanks to the ever fantastic Voodoonola2. Watch the anniversary gig with “Drums” with Jerry starting at ~1:59:40, the “Truckin’” windmills beginning at ~2:33:00 and the “U.S. Blues” encore kicking off at ~2:55:01 here:


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Setlist (via Jerrygarcia.com)

Set One: Jack Straw, Dire Wolf, Beat It On Down The Line, Peggy-O, Mama Tried > Mexicali Blues, Row Jimmy, New Minglewood Blues, Loser, Lazy Lightning > Supplication

Set Two: Bertha > Good Lovin’, It Must Have Been The Roses, Estimated Prophet > Eyes Of The World > Drums > Truckin’ >Wharf Rat > Around & Around

Encore: U.S. Blues

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